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Leg Post 103
In Leg Post 103, Riaken, the lord of the Derkesthai, is awaiting the arrival of Navitatex Qemik; a representative of the Terminus Remnants. As son of Typhon, on of the Twelve God-Monarchs, Riaken had joined the God-Monarchs, as of Pan Post??, against the High Empire prior to the Time Lock Event, in Pan Post ??. When the High Imperial ship arrives, it is not the large Scion of Divinity that Qemik is known to captain. Khievest, the dragon that Riaken rides, believes he could destroy this smaller ship easily, but Riaken advises caution. The dragonriders escort the High Imperial shuttle down to Drakonos Prime, where the atmosphere is very thin and has made the Derkesthai a hardy people. He purposefully guides the shuttle over a volcano in the hopes of worrying the occupant. They travel to Typhon's Watch, the capital of Drakonos Prime, where Riaken has ruled for aeons. When they land, Riaken notes that Qemik appears confident and unconcerned, despite being on the Deresthai homeworld without his powerful battleship to back him up. Qemik admits that it was a risk to come without it, but he is certain that they can work out an accord. He wishes for a non-aggression pact on the grounds that the old enmity has faded, along with Typhon and Highemperor. Riaken acknowledges that he and Qemik are pragmatic, but he is doubtful that their followers will necessarily tow the line as many were devout worshippers of their respective leaders. Though Riaken knows of Qemik's distaste for revelry, he expects Qemik to join him for feasting and entertainment through the night before discussing terms in the morning. Post THE GAMBIT, PART TWO: BOLD MOVES Riaken, lord of the Derkesthai - a race of dragonlike men from a distant planet far across the universe from the Milky Way Galaxy - sits astride his magnificent dragon mount. It is an intelligent, sapient creature that has served him well since he first learned to ride, bearing him aloft through space to destroy his father's enemies. Except now he could go after HIS enemies, as his father - the gigantic dragon, former God-Monarch Typhon - was trapped in an unbreakable time lock. Riaken had always been king in name of his people, but now he is king in truth, without his father's heavy talon resting atop him. Draco-Qhobeg: "Registering FTL blip, milord. System entry imminent. It's... smaller than expected." Riaken raises an eyebrow at the words of his majordomo, coming through his earpiece. He knows full well that his guest, Navitatex Qemik of the High Empire's Terminus Remnant, commands one of the mightiest battleships in the universe, the Scion of Divinity. Why would he come to the Derkesthai's home world in any lesser vessel? The other dragons and their riders, in flight around their lord just beyond their home planet's orbit, straighten to attention as Qemik's ship slows out of FTL speeds, revealing a small passenger shuttle, one actually smaller than Riaken's great draconic steed. Khievest: "I could snap that flimsy thing in two with a single bite." Said draconic steed's rumbling voice is contemptuous, and not exaggerating all that much, insofar as the shuttle's size goes. Riaken's demidivine senses, however, register the power levels shimmering around the ship. Riaken: "It would be a greater challenge than you anticipate." Khievest: "I welcome it." Riaken: "Patience for now, friend." Riaken and his accompanying dragon riders swoop up to the shuttle as it approaches. The pilot can be seen in the cockpit through the window, with Qemik standing at attention behind the pilot's chair. He meets Riaken's two reptilian eyes with his three multicolored ones. Riaken inwardly shrugs and takes up position ahead of the shuttle, turning his steed's tail to it, clearly showing his lack of fear from any weapons the shuttle possesses, as he leads it down to the surface. The other dragonriders flank the shuttle. Ostensibly it's an honor guard... but it could also be interpreted as an imprisonment. The shuttle and dragonriders swoop to the planet below. This, the world known as Drakonos Prime, is the home of the Derkesthai, known in legend to be where the mighty God-Monarch Typhon met Riaken's mother in an era too ancient to be remembered. Atmospheric entry is easier here than on most inhabited planets, for the atmosphere is thinner here. Derkesthai are hardy, thriving in the thin air, and become even stronger in the truly oxygen-rich environments of other planets. It's a very hot planet despite that (due to its solar proximity), full of dust storms and more volcanoes than bodies of water. The vegetation is sparse and tough, designed for survival rather than beauty. Veins of precious rock and metal glitter across the surface. Even after millions of years of mining, Drakonos Prime's supply of ore is endless, due to the constant volcanic activity feeding its creation. Too, there is rumored to be power in the heart of the planet, that constantly aids this process. Riaken deliberately leads them over a grumpy volcano that belches out a cloud of hot, steaming magma dust. He, Khievest, and his other Derkesthai and their steeds are immune to the heat, and he imagines the Remnant shuttle is in no danger either. But he wonders if the sudden upsurge of scalding dust might unsettle Qemik. Typhon's Watch looms up ahead, the capital of Drakonos Prime, from which Riaken has reigned for countless eons. Carved from the tallest mountain on the planet, its main body is an enormous tower, several miles thick and over fifty tall, shaped to look roughly like the serpentine body of a dragon, albeit one rearing upright. Thick arms jut out at various places up and down the body's height, ending in clawed talons. Throughout the surface, veins of ore glitter in the light of the looming orange sun that fills a third of the sky.. Lava flows in deadly beautiful magmafalls from various points upon the citadel. The top of Typhon's Watch is carved into the shape of a dragon's head, which is even bigger around than the rest of the tower, and it is into the open mouth that Riaken and his escorting dragonriders lead their guest. Khievest lands gracefully, his talons gripping the grooved floor - carved directly from the mountain's rock - for purchase, and Riaken hops nimbly off, flapping his own wings, partially to slow his descent, but mostly to look impressive. The Remnant shuttle has landed, and Riaken strides up to it as its boarding ramp lowers. Out of the hatch strides Navitatex Qemik, de facto governor of the Terminus remnant. He is flanked by two bodyguards, each wearing the distinctive black armor with silver trim of High Imperial soldiers, albeit these two's uniforms are somewhat more ornate than the typical grunt's. Riaken: "A bold move, to come here without the aegis of your flagship." Qemik: "It is a gambit, I admit." Riaken pauses. There is nothing outwardly unusual about the way Qemik's utterance sounds, but his demidivine senses - a poor facsimile of his divinely draconic father's oracular senses; such was the price of having a non-divine mother - express themselves as an intuition, one noting that there is a double meaning to the Navitatex's words. His intuition tells him nothing more, so Riaken dismisses it for now. He's already wary of tricks, after all. Riaken: "It was bold to invite yourself into the heart of your enemies. To come without your flagship, some might consider... foolhardy." Qemik: "Are we enemies then?" It's a ridiculous question on the surface of it. The High Empire has long been the archnemesis of the God-Monarchs the Derkesthai have always served. But both High Empire and God-Monarchs are gone now, and only Qemik's Terminus Remnant and Riaken's Derkesthai are left. Riaken: "Our old masters are enemies. Whether we are remains to be seen." Qemik smiles tightly, and Riaken intuits that the de facto governor is remembering the clash between the Scion of Divinity and Riaken's personal flight of dragonriders in the final, apocalyptic war between their old masters. Riaken's gaze flicks to the bodyguards briefly. They don't look overly tense, though they are clearly alert. Either they believe Qemik to truly be in command of the situation - entirely likely, given the fawning devotion the High Empire always seems to have for its highest ranking leaders - or they accept that they are just for show, and that they have no power to stop the Derkesthai from slaughtering them. Looking back to Qemik, Riaken muses that Qemik doubtlessly has some sort of nanite weapon on his person, one of the more advanced High Imperial varieties, powerful enough to wipe out every Derkesthai in this room while leaving Qemik untouched. But Qemik must know that any such weapon would be not terribly effective on Riaken himself, given Typhon's blood that ran through his veins. For the Navitatex to know this - which he assuredly does - and to still come into the heart of Riaken's domain, without his mighty warship, no less... he must truly believe an alliance is possible. Qemik: "What purpose would enmity between us serve? We are both masterless now, and it seems that your purpose is the same as mine: to shepherd the flock that remains to me." Riaken: "And why would that preclude enmity between us? I could destroy you now in vengeance for my father's downfall." Qemik no doubt is well-informed enough to know that Riaken always chafed under his father's dominion, but he is wise enough not to mention that. Qemik: "Because you, like myself, are pragmatic. We both have countless enemies now, who would see us annihilated simply because of the perceived crimes of our masters, who themselves are beyond any retribution's reach now." Riaken: "The Derkesthai remain powerful." Qemik: "As does the Terminus Remnant. But you know this. As you must also know that, alone, we would be hard-pressed to defend ourselves from every last onslaught that might be directed our way." Riaken's silence this time is a long enough pause to be noted by someone without the demidivine king's rapid thought processes. He is indeed aware of this. He has been building up Drakonos Prime's defenses nonstop since the Great Time Lock War, and maintaining as low a profile as he can, though it stings his pride to do so. Many enemies seeking vengeance would break like waves on the rock of the Derkesthai… but enough waves over time always win over rocks. Riaken: "What do you propose?" Qemik: "A non-aggression pact, to start. And discussions regarding the accord between us. We will both be very useful to each other." Riaken notes Qemik's use of the word "will" rather than "would" - assuming, almost arrogantly, that Riaken will accede to this - and allows himself a tight smile. Qemik is right, and Riaken knows it, and Qemik knows that Riaken knows it. Riaken: "A pity you were not on the High Empire's throne." For the first time Qemik seems a bit nonplussed. Qemik: "Only one is worthy for that seat." Riaken: "It stings, doesn't it? You worshiped him. But now he is gone. Can I be certain you, or those under you, won't seek misguided, zealous vengeance, despite the pragmatic virtues of an accord between us?" Qemik's voice is level. Qemik: "As you know, I am a pragmatic man, like yourself. I will not pretend that I do not mourn his loss and long for his return. But he is indeed lost, and he indeed shall never return. I desire life and prosperity, not to follow him into doom." Riaken: "And do all of your subjects feel the same way?" Qemik: "You know the answer to that. But your people also worshiped your father. I face the same risk from them, as you do from mine." Riaken: "As long as we both know what we're getting into, Navitatex. Come, let us dine. I will show you the grandeur of Derkesthai entertainment, and we shall feast all night long." Qemik clearly is hiding a grimace - Riaken knows, after all, of Qemik's distaste for Proconsul Kim's constant parties - but he doesn't object, having no doubt expected this from his knowledge of Derkesthai customs. Riaken: "Then, at dawn, we shall discuss our future, you and I." Category:Post Category:Leg Post